J'aime la vie

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J'aime La Vie (English translation: "I Love Life") was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1986, performed for Belgium by Sandra Kim. Belgium had finished the 1985 Contest in last place, and thus achieved the rare turnaround from last to first in the space of one year.
The song was performed thirteenth on the night (following Ireland's Luv Bug with You Can Count On Me and preceding Germany's Ingrid Peters with Über Die Brücke Geh'n). Its winning tally was 176 points, finishing first in a field of 20.

Performed in French, the song is a positive one, dealing with the pleasure to be had in life. In the lyrics, Kim describes herself as being "fifteen", although she was later proven to be only thirteen at the time of her performance. She thus remains the youngest ever Eurovision winner and one of the youngest-ever performers at the Contest. Her record is unlikely to be challenged, as the Contest rules were changed to specify that performers must turn at least 16 in the year that they perform.
The song is also the only time to date that Belgium has won the Contest.

The song was succeeded as Contest winner in 1987 by Johnny Logan representing Ireland with Hold Me Now.
It was succeeded as Belgian representative at the 1987 Contest by Liliane Saint-Pierre singing Soldiers Of Love.

Preceded by La Det Swinge by Bobbysocks

Eurovision Song Contest winners 1986

Succeeded by Hold Me Now by Johnny Logan